Judge hearing motions in Etowah Co. girl’s running death

GADSDEN, Ala. (AP) – An Alabama woman charged in the running death of her 9-year-old granddaughter is due in court.

A judge says he will hear motions Monday morning in Gadsden in the capital murder case against 49-year-old Joyce Garrard.

Garrard is charged in the death of Savannah Hardin in 2012. Prosecutors say the woman made the girl run for hours as punishment for a lie about eating candy.

The defense is asking the judge to limit the amount of evidence that jurors can hear when Garrard goes on trial in September. They’re trying to block prosecutors from using statements the woman made to medical workers.

Prosecutors say the defense is trying to prevent jurors from learning that Garrard wasn’t truthful about what happened.

The defense blames the child’s death on previous medical problems.

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